For a greener, cleaner Sandhills, both environmentally and politically. Send us news and updates on organic gardening, permaculture, protection of NC environment, sustainable lifestyle, energy conservation and alternatives, smart controlled growth, preservation of small town character, local food production and consumption, slow food, support of locally-owned businesses and entertainment.

About Me

3/31/2012

A GAP-certified Richmond County farm cannot get carrots into a local school, 1/4 mile away, a school where the obesity rate is 42%. Contact NC Dept. of Education, Richmond Co. school board or NC Ag. Extention if you can think of a solution.

Public Hearing on Draft Shale Gas Report
6:30-8:30 PM, Monday, April 2
The Barn at Fearrington Village
100 Village Way, Pittsboro. (map/directions)

arrive by 5:15PM to sign up to speak

Chatham County will host the last final hearing on DENR's draft shale gas study report next Monday. This meeting will cover a summary of the draft report and DENR will be present to accept comments. For possible talking points click here.

The deadline to submit written comments has been extended to April 2. Send your comments via email to shale_gas_comments@ncdenr.gov or mail to NCDENR, attn: Trina Ozer, 1601 MSC, Raleigh 27699

House Republicans Slowing the Rush to Frack? Only ‘til early 2014…

On Wednesday, Representatives Gillespie and Stone held a press conference to outline a proposal that would continue some studies on regulatory needs for fracking and require legislative proposals by March of 2014. While this is a big improvement over the aggressive bill we expect from Senator Rucho and Rep. Mike Hager, it would still call for regulations even before the EPA study on water impacts is final (late 2014) or national regulations are considered. Stay tuned for further detailed review by grassroots groups of the Gillespie/Stone proposal and opportunities to advocate for improvements!

3/29/2012

The DENR shale gas hearing in Chapel Hill had a large, feisty and well-informed turnout last night! Thank you for your presence, comments and solidarity against 'fracking' in North Carolina, which regional legislators got loud and clear. DENR acknowledges plenty of unknowns in the study and we'll have more to point out in written comments, due April 2. Many speakers pointed out that we haven’t seen evidence from any state that fracking can be done safely. Thanks to public pressure, a third and final hearing will take place in Chatham County next week!

3/26/2012

DENR is holding its second public comment session on its hydraulic fracturing report tomorrow, March 27th, at 6:30pm at East Chapel Hill High School. More information about these meetings can be found on DENR's website here: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/public-input

RAFI encourages the public to provide DENR with comments on hydraulic fracturing and consumer protection at the upcoming public meetings. Although the Attorney General's office has not made the consumer protection section of the report available at this time, it is important that landowners tell DENR and the Attorney General's office of the importance of maintaining landowner property rights and supporting strong landowner protections. Anyone interested in landowner protections and hydraulic fracturing can contact RAFI-USA for further information.

From NC League of Conservation Voters:A special report released on the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act of 1972 finds that toxic water discharges still abound, and North Carolina places tenth on the list of states by volume of discharges.

The 48-page report, titled "Wasting our Waterways 2012", was issued by the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. It is based on discharge information submitted to the EPA for its Toxic Release Inventory for 2010, the most recent data year available.

The report notes that 53 percent of assessed rivers and streams, and 69 percent of assessed lakes, remain unsafe for swimming or fishing or both. Our nation continues to fall far short of the 1972 Clean Water Act's goal that all American waters should be "fishable and swimmable".

It will be family friendly and pot luck, so bring kids and friends of all ages and a dish to share. And a chair to sit in. BYOB too. And your own transportation home or a sleeping bag! Or just show up and enjoy.

Looking Forward to a Foolishly good time; It is rumored there may even be dancin'. Clothing optional, but highly suggested for most.

Need directions? Give us a holler or use that fancy GPS thing. Jesse's farm is just about a quarter mile off NC HWY 211, down Hoffman Rd, then Speight Rd. back in the woods about 1/2 mile.

3/20/2012

Authentic 19th century needlework will be exhibited at the historic Shaw House property on Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the Moore County Historical Association’s participation in the Palustris Festival.

The Festival is in its third year as an area-wide celebration of the arts and culture of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen area.

The Shaw House at the corner of Morganton Road and Bennett Street in Southern Pines is an 1820s dwelling and headquarters of the MCHA. Also during the Palustris Festival 2012, tours will be given of the Shaw House property from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, March 20 through the 22nd but will be closed on Friday, March 23 to prepare for the exhibit on Saturday.

The needlework exhibit will be on display throughout the houses on Saturday, March 24, including the Sanders Cabin and the Garner House, 18th century dwellings from northern Moore County located at the back of the Shaw House property. The display includes vintage quilts, samplers, clothing and needlework tools such as gold and silver thimbles, thimble cases and wooden darners.

All of these articles will be on loan from private collections for this one day only.

3/19/2012

Save Our Sandhills is participating in the Palustris Festival again this year, all day Saturday, March 24, at the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania and Ashe. We'll have lots of food and drink.

Consult the most recent edition of Pinestraw magazine for a schedule of festival events.

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS/PALUSTRIS FESTIVAL

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:00AM - 5:30PM

Southern Pines Civic Club, 105 S. Ashe St.

9:00AM-5:30PM Nature Photography Exhibit by David Blevins

9:30AM-11:00AM Michael Schafale, author of Wild North Carolina, will discuss his book.

The long-anticipated state report on fracking was released late last week, and contains conclusions guaranteed to dissatisfy all perspectives. In sum, the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) draft report concludes that 'fracking'--hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas contained in rock layers--and the horizontal drilling to conduct it can be done safely. However, it also says that additional legal and regulatory safeguards are needed first.

The report's recommendations for safety steps proceeding the authorization of fracking include the following:
--Further study of the potential impacts on groundwater in areas where exploration may take place.
--State-approved plans limiting the amounts of water that can be withdrawn during the process.
--Mandated disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process, with public disclosure of any information not protected by 'trade secret' status.
--Development of an oil and gas waste management regulatory program.

The report's recommendations are not likely to please either those whose position is 'no fracking, no way', nor those whose mantra is 'drill now, drill everywhere, for everything'.

The two meetings to accept public comments on the draft report are scheduled for March 20 at the Wicker Center in Sanford, and March 27 at the East Chapel Hill High School auditorium in Chapel Hill. Both public meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

DENR is required to make its final report to the N.C. General Assembly no later than May 1. The legislature's special Energy Policy Committee is set to meet April 21, and is likely to take up the report for discussion whether the final is ready or not.